The global monitoring plan for persistent organic pollutants (POPs) is an important component of the effectiveness evaluation of the Stockholm Convention and provides a harmonized organizational framework for the collection of comparable monitoring data on the presence of POPs from all regions, in order to identify changes in their concentrations over time, as well as on regional and global environmental transport.
Data and information collection, including capacity-enhancement activities and the development of regional monitoring reports, is under the responsibility of regional organization groups in each of the five UN Regions. A global coordination group is overseeing the implementation of the global monitoring plan across the regions and the development of the global monitoring report.
The first and second regional monitoring reports have been welcomed by the Conference of the Parties at its fourth and seventh meetings respectively. While the first monitoring reports provide information on the baseline concentrations of the 12 legacy POPs, the second global monitoring report provides first indications as to the changes in concentrations of the chemicals initially listed in the Convention, as well as baseline information on the newly listed POPs.
A Guidance document on the global monitoring plan is also available to support comparability and consistency in monitoring results, including guidelines for collection, analysis and reporting of information and data. The guidance also includes information on the sampling and analysis of the newly listed POPs and, together with the implementation plan, sets the basis for implementing harmonized monitoring activities in the frame of the global monitoring plan.